Methyl radical heteroatom containing

Hydroxyindole (181) represents a well known example of a compound in which the hydroxyl group is to the ring heteroatom. The equilibrium mixture again contains mainly the carbonyl form (182), indoxyl. Deprotonation gives a reactive ambident anion which can be methylated either on oxygen or C-2 (Scheme 73). Indoxyl is easily oxidized to indigo (184), which may be formed by dimerization of the radical (183) produced by electron loss from the anion. 

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